Tag Archives: friendship

This past weekend was our 23rd wedding anniversary. After, 23 years, the celebration is a bit low key, but since my stroke, everyday is a celebration.

You must take your vows seriously. When you say “in sickness and in health” you never know what fate will bring you. I have a wonderful husband and we say “I love you” each day, a few times. He also makes me laugh.

In 1994, the National Health Interview Survey conducted a study on 50,000 households. Out of these households, the ones with spouses that were disabled were much more likely to be divorced or separated (20.7 percent), while only 13.1 percent of the households had been through a divorce without any disability as a factor.

Relationships are important for everyone. Everyone needs to feel loved and valued as a person, and we all need people to talk to and spend time with. Having positive relationships helps people to feel satisfied with their lives and gives people a sense of belonging and self-worth.

After brain injury or stroke, relationships become even more important. Positive relationships can help with recovery in many ways. When people are facing many new challenges, they need to have people they can talk to about their thoughts and feelings. Talking with a spouse, close friend or relative is a great way to cope with and come to accept injury-related changes. Talk to the important people in your life and find ways to tell them how much they mean to you.

I am grateful for Kevin and our happy marriage. I look forward to many more, healthy, happy years.

Friendship helps heal. Motivation and encouragement is also wonderful. Don’t be afraid of Stroke survivors, they need you more than ever.

Although there are many forms of friendship, some of which may vary from place to place, certain characteristics are present in many types of friendship. Such characteristics include affection, sympathy, empathy, honesty, altruism, mutual understanding and compassion, enjoyment of each other’s company, trust, and the ability to be oneself, express one’s feelings, and make mistakes without fear of judgment from the friend.

Don’t walk away; I am so fortunate, friends before my stroke are still my friends and they treat me the same. They love me, for me.

Do you know someone who has been touched by Stroke? Have you walked towards them or away? Think about how you would want to be treated.

I have heard from people I have not been in touch with in some time. I think my Stroke brought into focus just how fragile life is.